Improved machine for piercing stitch-holes



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REUL BLACKWOOD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 85,558, dated Janna/ry 5, 1869; (mtedcted December 30, 1868.

IMPROVED IWAHINIIA FOR PIERCING STIZIICIEII-HOLIES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that'lI, REUEL BLAoKwooD, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have iuvented a new anduscful Machine for Piercing Stitch,- IHoles in thick leather; and I do 'hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andgexact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part` and other similar manufactures of leather, the piercing of the stitch-holes has heretofore been done by hand, which mode of, operation is'not only slow and laborious, but it is diiiicult, even to the most skilful work,

man, to thus produce a true or regular line of uniform stitches on both sides of the article-a result much desired for the best quality of harness; and

The object of my invention is to aiford a machine, or combination of mechanical devices, to be attached to a saddlers sewing-bench, whereby,`when the articlel to be stitched is appropriately held in the clamp of the bench, a regular line ofstitch-holes, at uniform distances apart onboth sides of the article, cau be readily produced in the most rapid and perfect manner, leaving nothing to be done afterward by the workman,lex cept to pass the threads through the holes,fand draw them tight, to produce the most perfectly-even and uniform stitches"`on both sides of the said aiticle, as required. My invention consists, substantiallyas hereinafter described, in the application toa saddlers sewing-bench or-other' suitable clamp, of a combination of mechanical devices, whereby a piercing-awl attached thereto can bealternately forced through and withdrawn from the article to be stitched, and the said awl caused to be moved periodically along beside the said article, the space of a required stitch, 'by means of a treadle, or its equivalent, attached to the bench or door, and operated by theA workman.

Referring to the drawings;-

A B is a metal flame, having its two parallel opposite 'inner sides grooved longitudinally, and having, also, a screwed shaft, C, with its journalled ends secured in the middle of the ends of the said frame A' B, so that it can be rotated in position, one ofthe journais of the said' shaft projecting through the further end of the said frame A B, and having thereon a loose cylinder or broad pulley, c', with a pawl, c, attached at one end, and also a ratchet-toothed fiange, c, or wheel, fixed on the 'shafts journal, the said cylinder, pawl, and ratchet-wheel being so arranged that the pawl c will rest successively in the teeth of the ratchet wheel c in such a manner that when the cylinder c' is rotated in one direction, it will rotate the screw-shaft O, and when rotated in the :opposite direction, it will slip loosely' around on they journal, the said shaft being applied so as to have friction enough in its bearings to prevent it from being rotated in the latter case. (See lig.' l.

uThi)s frame A B is fixed permanently in a horizontal position, across one side of the clamp of a saddlers bench, as indicated by the faint lines in the sameiigure.. Supported by the two parallel'grooves in the frame A B, is an upright piece, D, which is made so that it can be readily slid along by band, backward and forward, in its upright position in the frame A B, it being 'undercut at d, so as to pass clear of thescrewed shaft C. Attached to the rear side of this upright, D, there is a small latch or drop-levorl, the inner edge of which `fits between any two of the threads of .the

screwed shaft C, and thus connects the upright, D,

that it can be slid accurately backward. and forward in longitudinal directions therein.' In the end of c which is next to' the clamp of .the sewing-bench, (to which the machine may have been applicd,) the piercing'awl e `is firmly and detachably iixed, whilst the other end of c extends about two inches, more or less, beyond the hollowpiece E, and is surrounded by a spiral spring,

e, one end of which spring abuts againstl the end of the hollow piece E, and the other against the flange or head on the outer end of e', and thus the'said spring holds the awl-end of e about iiush with that end of E, and at the same time allows the piercing-awl e',to be pressed forward, when so required, as will herein be described. p v Attached also to the upright, D, there is a strong lever, F, of the irst class, which oscillates on a fulcrum-pin, f', in the upright, D. The upper end of this lever F extends up alongside of the hollow cylinder E, and has a slot, f, which receives part of a stud, e5, which is fixed in e', and projects horizontally out through the Vslot c" in the hollow cylinder E. The lower or power-end of lever F extends downward about au inch, more or less, below the lower end ofthe upright, D, and has an oifsot, f, thereat.

To the lower end ofthe upright, D, there is pivoted a strong arm, G, which has an upright spring-latch, g', (see iig. 2,) which will slide over and catch behind an inclined projection, j", which is fixed on that side of the lever F, for the purpose, when the said arm G is raised upward sufficiently, and which will, when the said arm is being drawn downward, carry the lower 'end of the lever F outward a certain distance, and then let it go back again, as will herein be described.

The outer end of arm G is intended to be connected, by means of a stiff rod (not shown) to any suitable treadle, which is to be attached, to the supports of the sewing-bench or floor, so as to be accessible by the foot of the operator sitting on the bench, or as indicated by the faint lines in the drawings.

The cylinder c' is intended to be connected to the same treadle, and at a point nearer to its'fulcrum, by means of a cord, which, passing upward therefrom, and three or four times tightly around the said cylinder cj, is to be then passed downward and secured to a spiral or other spring,strong and elastic enough to quickly lift the treadle, and thus elevate the arm Gto the position shown in the drawings, when thcffoot of the workman is removed therefrom, and also at the same time cause the shaft C to be rotated in a screwing direction, or so as to canse the upright, D, with its appendages, to be moved along on the frame A B the length of the intended stitch. The length ofthe stitch .is to be regulated by attachingr the cord which rotates the cylinder' c nearer to or further from the fulcrum of the treadle, as a shorter or longer stitch may require.

Operation.

The workman, seated upon a sewing-bench to which this machine is attached, as described', and securing in a horizontal position, between the clamps, the trace or other article to bestitehed, the height of the awl e, and the intended length of the stitch being provided for by adjusting the parts of the machine accordingly, he lifts the latch l, and then pulls the upright, D, toward him, to the full limit of the frame A B, and then readjusts the latch into connection with the screw G. He then places his foot upon the elevated treadle, and, pressing it downward, draws down the' arm Gfrom the elevated position shown in the drawings, to the depressed position shown by the dotted lines, thus having caused the awl e to be forced through the thick direction, and consequently to move forward the awl. e' the space of a stitch, and so on, until the upright l has reached the further end of the frame A B. He ,now sews in the stiches, moves the stitched article along in the clamp, to a new position, and recommences `the piercing of stitch-holes.

It will be readily seen that, by means of this machine, the stitching of harness-traces and similar artiv cles of thick leather can b e done with the greatest facility, ease, and rapidity, and that, on both sides of the article, the line of stitches will be perfectly regular, and the stitches of uniform lengths and positions.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.-

The application, to a saddlers sewing-bench, or other suitable leathen holding clamp, of a machine consisting ofthe following elements, viz, a fixed frame,A B,

having a screwed shaft, C, cylinder' e', pawl ci, and

ratchet-flange e attached, in combination with a slid ing upright, D, provided with ahollow piece, E, sliding piece e, 1. iercing-awl e", spring 6*, latch fl", lever F, and arm Gr, the said machine being connected with Vany suitable actuating-treadle, cords, and spring, -0r their equivalents, and operating the piercing-awl er, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

REUEL BLAOKVVOOD. lWitnesses:

Bgm. Morrison, WM. H. Moruson.- 

